Only one team in NFL history has gone undefeated throughout an entire season and the Seahawks will not become the second.
Russell Wilson was intercepted three times on the night with Isaiah Simmons' interception in overtime setting up a game-winning 48-yard field goal from Zane Gonzalez in overtime to hand Seattle their first loss of the season, 37-34, to the Arizona Cardinals.
"We had all kinds of chances to win a football game and we could have won it on offense a couple times, on defense a couple times, in overtime as well and we weren't able to get the finish that we needed," head coach Pete Carroll said.
A shaky Seahawks defense continues to be a major issue for the team as well as Arizona outscored Seattle by a 23-7 margin in the second half and overtime to rally from a 27-17 halftime deficit. It's the first time in 60 games where Seattle has held a lead of four or more points at halftime that they have failed to come away with a victory.
While the defense continues to allow Arizona to score points, the offense was unable to land a knockout blow in the second half either.
The Seahawks are now 5-1 with another division matchup with the San Francisco 49ers looming next weekend. But first, here are the takeaways from the loss to the Cardinals.
-- The defense is still giving up yards and points at an astonishing rate.
There is no confusing the 2020 Seahawks defense with the Legion of Boom area defenses that helped carry Seattle to consecutive Super Bowl appearances over the previous decade. Seattle was gashed by the Cardinals for 519 yards and 37 points with 303 yards coming after halftime. Arizona either scored or put themselves in scoring position on five of their final six drives of the game with four of those possessions gaining at least 49 yards.
"We're nowhere we want to be," linebacker Bobby Wagner said on the defensive performances. "We're not where we want to be and it's going to take some focus and at this point you just got to make your mind up and say you're going to play good defense. Period.
"We have the ability to improve. We just have to make our minds up and that's it. No more talking. No more saying what we're going to do. We have to go show it. At this point I don't have no more words for you. It's either we do it or we don't."
The defense is allowing an average of 479.2 yards per game and 28.6 points per game through six weeks of the season. The yards per game is by far the worst in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons are the second-worst defense through six weeks and are allowing nearly 47 yards per game less than Seattle at 432.5 yards per game. The Seahawks actually are tied for 10th worst in points allowed with the Detroit Lions. However, allowing an average of four touchdowns a game is tough to overcome on a weekly basis.
"The quarterback was able to make plays when we did have them and, just like he's been doing, it's why he's special, but it's just... we just have to find a way to get our stops and get off the field and give the ball back to our offense. The offense had almost 600 yards tonight. We need to give them the football more times. They need to get more. So it's not good enough."
-- D.K. Metcalf absurd rundown of Budda Baker
It's an absolute shame that such a stunning and meaningful play ultimately ended up coming in a loss.
Budda Baker intercepted Russell Wilson and was seemingly gone for a 98-yard interception return that would have given the Cardinals a 14-13 lead in the second quarter. But D.K. Metcalf wasn't having it and managed to run down Baker from behind at the 8-yard line to save the touchdown. The play ultimately saved seven points as Arizona went for the end zone on fourth-and-goal and came up empty to preserve the 13-7 Seattle lead.
"It was one of the best football plays I've ever seen. It was just remarkable," Carroll said.
"One of the most remarkable plays I've ever seen," Wilson said.
NextGen Stats clocked Metcalf at 22.6 miles per hour in flying down the field to run down Baker on the play. Wilson tried to tail Baker only to yield right as Metcalf went flying by him to close the gap to the Cardinals safety.
"He just kept going, man. It was just an unbelievable play," Wilson said. "Just the effort. I really respect him for that. That's what it takes just as a winning effort."
The Cardinals were equally awed by the play from Metcalf.
"(I thought he was going to score) until that huge stallion of a human came galloping out of nowhere," Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "D.K. Metcalf is an absolute freak athlete and what an effort play by him. High school coaches will be showing that one for years."
-- Tyler Lockett ties franchise record with 15 catches
In a similar context, Tyler Lockett's 15 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns against the Cardinals should have come in a massive victory as well.
With Patrick Peterson following D.K. Metcalf around the field, Lockett had his way with Dre Kirkpatrick and the rest of the Cardinals defenders that drew an assignment trying to cover him on Sunday night.
"He's a phenomenal, phenomenal football player," Carroll said.
The 15 catches matches a franchise record while the 200 yards is the second-most in a game in franchise history. Steve Largent holds both records and they came in the same game against the Detroit Lions in 1987. Against replacement players, Largent caught 15 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns in less than three full quarters before getting a seat for the rest of the contest.
Lockett also had three touchdowns in his performance against the Cardinals on Sunday night. He was targeted 20 times in total with two 3-yard touchdown receptions and a 47-yard touchdown as well.
"He just made so many special plays. He was unbelievable," Wilson said. "The post route that he caught in the back of the end zone, that was an amazing catch by him. He just kept making play after play after play after play. That's what we're looking for from him."
-- Woulda, coulda, shoulda moments for Seattle
A few key moments stick out about the loss to Arizona.
- Bobby Wagner getting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for a hit on tight end Dan Arnold that seemed like a very poor call on a third-and-5 play that kept an Arizona drive alive. Instead of having to punt, the Cardinals ran off 10 more plays before a Kyler Murray touchdown run cut the lead to 27-24 in the third quarter.
- Benson Mayowa being called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a field goal try with three minutes remaining that allowed the Cardinals to get the touchdown they needed to close a 10-point deficit first, which allowed them to only need a field goal to tie on the final possession.
- Running the ball three straight times without picking up a first down at the two-minute warning that forced a punt back to the Cardinals, who managed to drive for the game-tying field goal.
Any of those moments go in Seattle's favor and the game could have ended with a Seahawks victory. They all went in Arizona's favor instead and now the Cardinals are hot on the Seahawks' heels in the NFC West division race.
Photo Credit: GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 25: Place kicker Zane Gonzalez #5 of the Arizona Cardinals kicks a field goal to tie the game with two seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on October 25, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)